Facebook sues Vietnamese group for account takeover, unauthorized ads worth $36 mln

By Phan Anh   June 30, 2021 | 03:46 am PT
Facebook sues Vietnamese group for account takeover, unauthorized ads worth $36 mln
A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen on a keyboard in this illustration taken March 25, 2020. Photo by Reuters/Dado Ruvic.
Facebook has sued four people in Vietnam for compromising accounts and running unauthorized advertisements worth $36 million, it announced Tuesday.

Them Huu Nguyen, Le Khang, Nguyen Quoc Bao and Pham Huu Dung need to be exposed for their conduct and held accountable for their actions, the social media giant said in a blog post.

They compromised accounts of people employed at advertising and marketing agencies by misleading them into installing a mobile app called "Ad Manager for Facebook." The app, created by the four themselves and made available on Google Play Store, tricks users into sharing their Facebook login credentials, which are then used to access their accounts.

After taking over the accounts, the four would then run unauthorized ads. It is estimated the group has run over $36 million worth of unauthorized ads, according to Facebook.

The misleading app has since been removed from the Google Play Store and the victims refunded, the firm added.

Facebook said its legal action is part of ongoing efforts to combat account takeovers on its platform.

 
 
go to top